Come and get your cheap electricity, Housing Trust tenants
The state government has opened registrations for Empowering SA, a program which will offer discounted power bills to South Australians on low incomes.
Housing Trust tenants interested in a discount on their power bills are being encouraged to register with a new state government scheme.
Empowering SA will offer a 26% discount to eligible Housing Trust tenants whose properties do not already have solar power or a battery.
The discount will start once a “community battery” comes online in Murray Bridge.
The government had previously told residents they would not need to register for the discount.
Energy and Mining Minister Tom Koutsantonis said the program was about making sure low-income South Australians could access the same opportunities as everyone else to benefit from cheap, renewable energy.
“Putting solar panels on the roof or installing a home battery simply isn’t an option if you’re living in a Housing Trust home, renting or managing a household budget on a low or fixed income,” he said.
“Too often, people are forced to make difficult choices about using heating and cooling or cutting back on other household necessities because of energy costs.
“We want to change that.”
About 650 households in Murray Bridge are expected to benefit from the program, including residents in 570 Housing Trust properties.
The government has not yet indicated how it will determine which other households will be able to access the scheme.
- Sign up for cheap power: www.energymining.sa.gov.au.
